Stereochemistry of 2D Molecular Crystallization

Karl-Heinz Ernst

doi:10.2533/chimia.2014.49

Stereochemistry of 2D Molecular Crystallization

Authors

Karl-Heinz Ernst Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials, Science and Technology, Laboratory for Nanoscale Materials Science, Überlandstrasse 125, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland. karl-heinz.ernst@empa.ch

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2014.49

Keywords:

Chirality, Conglomerate, Diastereomeric recognition, Fivefold symmetry, Stm

Abstract

Different stereochemical aspects of molecular recognition in two-dimensional crystallization on metal surfaces are discussed. Scanning tunneling microscopy, a powerful tool with submolecular resolution capabilities, provides detailed insight into the implications of molecular geometry for the two-dimensional crystal lattice. The examples presented here include a homo- to heterochiral phase transition, tiling with pentagonal molecules, chiral restructuring of a metal surface and diastereomeric recognition between enantiomers of different molecular species via polar forces as well as van der Waals interactions.